Space missions to bring samples from Mars and Phobos back to Earth

“These missions may at some point provide an opportunity to understand the different evolutionary processes of life on Mars and on Earth,” wrote Ryuki Hyodo and Tomohiro Usui from the Japanese space agency JAXA in an article published Thursday in “Science” magazine. The goal is to look for traces of possible past life on Mars. In 2029, a mission from the Japanese space agency is expected to bring a sample from the surface of the Martian moon Phobos back to Earth.

Phobos and Deimos are the two moons of the planet, the first being closer to Mars. It may have rock material on it that was thrown away by asteroid impacts on Mars. As with previous findings, there is no water on Phobos, but the researchers hope that a sample will provide exciting insights into why the different rocks mix.

The second mission has started. The NASA rover “Perseverance”, which landed on Mars in February, is to take a sample of the planet that will one day be sent back to Earth in collaboration with the European Space Agency ESA – exactly when and how is being planned. However, the rover’s first attempt to drill recently failed, more employed.

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